Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Niagara - Our Stories and Testimonials

Sharing A Little Magic

"Not only do I feel that I'm helping a child, but it's also helped me realize how important it is to give time to a child who can really benefit from it. It's been such a rewarding experience!" - Joanna - In School Mentor

"My Mentee has come along way since I first met him. He was always trying to be perfect and I've helped him realize that not everything in life is perfect and to do the best he can with what he has.. Helping him keep up with his school work and reading improving his reading has been our goal. I think I have made a difference in his life and he's made a difference in mine. He's always very happy to see me and I enjoy his company" - Fred - In School Mentor - Retired

"I feel great about having an In School Mentor and I talk to anyone and everyone about her. Having a mentor has helped me boost my confidence." Samantha - In School Mentee

"My In School Mentor in an awesome person. He's so enthusiastic, trustworthy and respectful. Having him has improved my confidence and he has helped solve any problems that I have." - Robert - In School Mentee

"Mentoring is one of the most valuable tools that we can utilize in today's fast paced society. The influence that a responsible, positive, caring adult can have on a child is very powerful and life altering for some. I have seen it first hand. " Greg - Child and Youth Worker (Niagara District School Board)

“I’ve learned how important I can be to a child and it’s kind of shocking! But it feels so good - the school tells me how Ashley’s practically bouncing with excitement waiting for me. Believe me, it’s wonderful for my self esteem too. I have total support from my workplace, which is great. I’m apt to give everything I’ve got to my job but this gives me time for something that means a lot to me, something that provides balance in my life.”
Lorena, In-School Mentor

“Ashley has a lot of energy and it takes a lot of energy to keep up with her and sometimes that’s hard when I’m juggling three jobs. Since her Big Sister Lorena came along she’s calmer and she’s allowed me to get closer to her. Our relationship’s gotten much stronger.”
Michelle - Parent

“If you haven’t been a Little Brother it’s really hard to explain adequately how one person can have such a huge impact on your life. I had my Big Brother for 3 years before he moved away - I like to think he’d be pleased that I’ve just been accepted to Med School. Now, as an adult, I have a really busy schedule, but I received such a benefit from my Big Brother that it’s important for me to be a volunteer. The In-School Mentoring Program is perfect for me. My Mentee is so much like I was - too much energy, short attention span. I really understand his frustration. We try to do things that are a bit different. Last week we made nanaimo bars which made him very popular with his teachers. We get closer every day - it’s an amazing experience.”
Chad, In-School Mentor & former Little Brother

“Being part of BigBunch is a great release from school responsibilities. I’ve really learned a lot about problem solving and leadership from our Group Mentors and I get a great feeling doing something for someone else. We do things my Little Brother Bruce doesn’t get much chance to do. He’s shy and this really helps him.”
Jacob, BigBunch Member, Grade XII student

“Steven took to Craig & Linda (Big Couple) right away...which is unusual for him. Steven has never had a man in his life. Craig and he share a lot of interests and since they’ve been matched Steven is trying new things with them. Steven’s self confidence has grown too. What might seem like a small benefit to most but is a huge benefit for me is seeing the happy faces my kids have after being out with their Bigs.”
Bev, Parent

“When I received you as a Big Sister I realized how lucky I was but I never told you. You helped me through the worst days of my life and shared the good days with me. You are my best friend and that will never leave my heart.”
Little Sister, Angela in what she describes
as a “long overdue thank you”, 11 years after
being matched with her Big Sister, Annette

“I am writing to thank you and everyone else for getting me a Big Brother, Mark. We have lots of fun together. We have gone fishing, I’ve seen some airplanes with him, we went to the park and the beach. Mark even came to my spring concert. I was Papa Bear.”
Little Brother, David

“Big Brothers Big Sisters gave me the learning experience of a lifetime. They invited me to a conference in Ottawa concerning youth at risk. This gave me the opportunity to learn something about myself that I didn’t really know. It brought up my self-confidence and self-esteem and desire to succeed. I was impressed by some of the programs other people were talking about. I think programs should enhance young people’s self-esteem, giving them responsibility and trusting them to make their own judgments. It’s like Big Brothers Big Sisters - it’s better to prevent problems than to fix them later.”
Angela, former Little Sister, delegate to Youth Partnership, Youth at Risk (1999)

“My father died when I was about 8 years old. I knew I missed something special. I’m retired now and have some time so I think it’s my responsibility to be a decent role model to a child. It costs nothing but a bit of time - and it’s lots of fun!”
Alston, In-School Mentor

“Dear Big Brothers Big Sisters,
I really love my Big Sister, she is just what I always wanted in a friend that I could call my own. She means the world to me. I want to “Thank You” for giving me such a wonderful Big Sister.”
Little Sister, Angela

“I feel really special because my Big Brother and Big Sister accept me into their home. Yes, that makes me feel really special.”
Luke, Little Brother matched to a Big Couple

A Big Brothers Story

R.D. Reid has a busy life. As a principle actor in film and television, he’s often called to be on location in Toronto or other places across the country or in the U.S. Sometimes, he’s needed on the set at a moment’s notice, and he’s on his way. As a writer, his spare time is devoted to pounding out words on the computer – night or day.

R.D. is also a Big Brother with Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Niagara. He’s been a mentor to 13-year-old Dietrich for the past five years.

What makes the relationship work is the flexibility of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters programs.

“Acting is a crazy game and writing takes up a lot of my time,” laughed R.D., who is 55. “My schedule is nuts. But Big Brothers is so flexible. They want kids hooked up with somebody and they’ll knock themselves out to work with you. They don’t want the linkage broken, so they’ll bend over backwards to accommodate your schedule.”

For R.D., that schedule currently involves a lead role in the animated/live television series Ace Lighting, a co-production between the BBC and Alliance Atlantis which follows the adventures of 13-year-old Mark Hollander who helps lead character Ace Lightning in his quest to fight Lord Fear.

“Dietrich watches the show all the time and he told me he really likes it,” said R.D. “In fact, he was watching it one day with a friend who saw me and said that he knew me. Dietrich just laughed and told him that was his Big Brother.”

Because of his role on the series, R.D. was able to take Dietrich and Dietrich’s 18-old-brother Rory to the animation centre where the series is created. The kids were impressed and delighted – Rory, who aspires to attend animation school, and Dietrich, who loves computers, were exposed to another side of life that kids normally don’t get to see or experience. It opened their eyes to possibilities.

And that’s part of the joy for R.D. When he lost touch with his own son from a previous marriage , R.D. was determined to help someone who needed a mentor figure in his life.

“I wanted to complete the circle of helping a kid grow up from that age – my son was nine – and I got involved in Big Brothers because there was an opportunity to do that,” said R.D. “I met Dietrich when he was eight, and I’m very proud of him. He’s come through a rough time and he’s a really good boy.”

R.D. discovered how easy it was to be involved, and how rewarding the relationship in the time spent together. He’s the older role model, the mentor, the one with life experience to whom his little brother Dietrich really listens. As a result of the time and caring attention, Dietrich enlisted R.D.’s advice on how to get a job – when he was 10! R.D. suggested the actor’s way – just knock on as many doors as you can until someone says yes. And eventually, someone will.

Dietrich took R.D.’s advice and knocked on every door in his neighborhood, asking for work and looking for openings and opportunities. Eventually, after three months, someone offered him a paper route. Dietrich was on his way. Now, says R.D., he is aspiring to something bigger and better and is putting money aside for a savings bond.

Dietrich and his brother, (R.D.’s unofficial little brother) also get involved in judo when R.D. saw how they used violence to deal with problems. The boys became school champions, and no longer need to “punch someone out” when they’re trying to work something out.

From a child at risk to a young teen involved in the positive aspects of life, Dietrich has benefited from the time and friendship – even if that time revolves around an actor’s wild and wacky schedule.

But spending just a few hours a week with a child can help. Quality time is the key – sharing adventures, exploring, learning together. And learning, as R.D. found, works both ways.

“Sometimes I think the Big Brother gets more out of it than the Little Brother,” said R.D. “Dietrich exposed me to what it was like to be a kid again. As an actor, I’m supposed to know how that feels, but doing things that an eight-year-old kid likes to do really opened my eyes. Climbing a haymow and jumping into it, thinking, wow! This is pretty neat! And it all starts from there.”

Big Brothers/ Big Sisters has many options for the interested volunteer. From a few hours a week to in-school programs, from committee work to board work, there are many choices and many ways to get involved. The key is flexibility. And if it works for someone with R.D.’s unusual schedule, it’s bound to work for you. It only takes a little time to make a big difference in the life of a child.

“What impressed me about Big Brothers is how they stick by their kids, how they do whatever they can possibly do to help them, whether it’s a match with one person or a group outing,” said R.D. “They really intend to help their kids, and they do. And that makes me want to help them, too. It’s win-win.”

Visit our website to learn more about becoming a mentor, what you can expect in the application process, and the options available to you. With more than 70 kids waiting to be matched with mentors, we need volunteers like you. Please call 905-735-0570 and find out how our flexible programming can help you help a child today.